Louis XV Malachite Mantel Clock with Diana Statuette
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Malachite - Malachite is bright copper-green coloured stone with concentric layers which displays distinct contrasting veinings. It has been valued in the past for making or decorating small precious objects such as clocks, jewellery, dishes and so. In the Orient it was used for snuff bottles and in Russia and was favoured by the Faberge workshop. larger pieces were used for table tops.
The principal source of supply was Russia but it is to be found in other regions such as Southern Africa, Mexico, Australia and France.
Malachite glass is a manufactured material that was intended to resemble malachite, but often bears more resemblance to a veined coloured marble due to its lower gloss finish and lack of concentric layers. Malachite glass was manufactured by many glassworks in the 19th century including Loetz in Austria and others in Bohemia and Davidson's Greener's and Sowerby in north eastern England.
It was particularly used for scent bottles, bowls, and small vases often decorated with nymphs.
Malachite glass has been manufactured continuously since the late nineteenth century, most is unmarked and it is difficult to distinguish the age or manufacturer of most commercial pieces. - Movement - The technical name for the workings of a clock or watch, and does not include the dial or case.
- Ormolu - Ormolu was popular with French craftsmen in the 18th and 19th century for ornamental fittings for furniture, clocks and other decorative items. True ormolu is gilt bronze, that is bronze that has been coated with gold using a mercury amalgam. Due to the health risks associated with using mercury, this method of creating ormolu was discontinued in France in the 1830s. A substitute was developed consisting of about 75% copper and 25% zinc, however it was inferior to the bronze version. It was often lacquered to prevent it tarnishing.
- Filigree Work - Decorative Arts - Delicate decorations using fine threads of ceramics, glass or other materials to give a lace-like effect, attached together and applied as an ornament.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
A gilt metal mounted ebonised bracket clock, 19th century, the dial signed J. Foord, Hastings, with a triple fusee movement, quarter strike and hour gong 61.5 cm high
A mid 19th century French mantel clock with painted and jewelled sevres style porcelain urns, and panels depicting falconry hunting scenes. Eight day movement with bell strike. Stamped Chucne with no. 28616. Garnitures incomplete. Height 30 cm
George III longcase clock by John Bishop of Sherborne the arched hood with three brass orb finials and brass columns, painted moonphase, Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds and calendar dials and a mahogany and ebony inlaid case.
A German walnut cased mantel clock, the architectural case incorporating a carved pediment with cuckoo mechanism, the square face flanked by spiral carved columns, the brass face with silvered chapter ring with Roman numerals, the 8-day mechanism by Jungha